An unusually strong earthquake surprised the residents of the Chinese province of Sichuan. Even hundreds of kilometers away, the tremors can still be clearly felt. "Everyone was scared," says an eyewitness.
An earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan province has killed at least 21 people. More than 30 people were injured, state television reported. According to seismologists, the tremors reached a magnitude of 6.8. The Luding district, more than 200 kilometers southwest of the provincial capital Chengdu, was particularly affected, as reported by state media. Landslides occurred, blocking roads. Roadways were also damaged by cracks. In Detuo, houses were badly damaged, state television reported.
"Everyone was scared," said a hotel worker in Luding on the phone. Out of fear, people in the county town ran out of their houses onto the streets. Many stayed outside and initially did not dare to go back into the building for fear of aftershocks. "Earthquakes weren't that severe before." In the city, the tremors were not even that strong. "But it was worse in the country," said the woman. Communications were cut in places like Moxi and Yanzigou in the county, according to state media.
Videos showed how the earth began to slide on mountain slopes. Large boulders lay on the roads. "The earthquake was pretty severe," reported the employee of another hotel in Luding. No houses were damaged there. "Earthquakes are common here." Videos posted on Chinese social media showed shelves swaying so much that items fell out.
Even in the metropolis of Chongqing, more than 500 kilometers away, the tremors were clearly felt. "At first I thought I was going to faint," said a woman who lives on the 10th floor of a skyscraper. But shortly after that it was all over.
Hundreds of emergency services were mobilized in the earthquake area, state media reported. In 2008, Sichuan Province was hit by a 7.9 magnitude earthquake. At that time, more than 80,000 people died. Sichuan lies at the edge of the thrust zone of the Indian tectonic plate and the Eurasian plate. Because of the plate movements, the province is particularly at risk of earthquakes.
